Limpopo Rhino Conservation (LRC) is a network of rhino reserves in the Limpopo Province of South Africa that provides much-needed habitat for over 1000 rhinos. Our mission is to grow rhino populations through cooperative conservation. We aim to establish a proactive and reactive support network to protect these rhino reserves, the people on the ground and their rhino.
Limpopo Rhino Conservation LRC is the only rhino charity of its kind. We are a group of rhino reserves that share their resources in order to protect and grow rhino populations to strengthen the genetic diversity of the species. These reserves are family-run operations that pass the responsibility of custodianship onto the next generation of rhino conservationists.
The formation of the LRC came about after a string of rhino poaching events across the South African province. From 2013 to 2017 our reserves were subjected to a dramatic surge in poaching incursions lead by well-trained and highly organised poaching syndicates. Rhino poaching scouts and rhino poaching teams entering our reserves to pursue and kill rhino had become a daily occurrence for everyone. The demand for rhino horn as a cure-all and status symbol is being widely used in Asia.
On an overcast morning in November 2014 Shambula a heavily pregnant rhino along with her calf Insimbi were butchered for their horns both bodies left laying lifeless on the dry red sand. Every member of the LRC has a similar story to tell. We all have been affected in the same way and each rhino’s death brought about the inception of Limpopo Rhino Conservation. We understood then and still do now that rhino poaching is a shared problem for South Africans and the World.
Our model of engagement with this crisis is as follows:
This important collaborative work has led to a 82% decrease in poaching events across our area.
For 100 years government-run reserves have had an outstanding effect on boosting rhino population numbers. Since 2011, however, 90-95% of rhino have been lost in these areas due to organised poaching. Iconic National Parks like Kruger have experienced a disastrous population decrease to the tune of +- 8,500 rhino.
Meanwhile, rhino reserves like those in the LRC have been doing something remarkable. Reserves run privately without any financial government assistance have been quietly increasing global rhino population numbers while facing the same poaching problems. Despite government-run reserves getting the majority of the support and global funding they continue to experience a 15% decrease in their rhino populations per year since 2008. At the same time, our rhino reserves continue to increase rhino populations by 7.5% each year.
Today in South Africa 80% of the habitat available to wildlife exists on privately owned reserves. The cost of protecting small populations of rhinos is enormous and is discouraging landowners from having rhinos on their land. LRC invests a lot of time and finances into protecting rhinos for ‘future generations’ but we now need all the help we can get to realise that future. Our systems for protecting rhino need to continue evolving because rhino poaching is not going away. It is imperative that we maintain the systems that are already in place continue to electrify fencing, employ armed security guards and rhino monitoring teams, deploy cameras and tactical equipment that monitor reserves around the clock, 24/7. Any funding we receive goes directly to engaging with new technology and organisations that will keep us one step ahead of rhino poaching syndicates and find ways to make the lives of the people protecting rhino safer. Please help us continue this work so we can help the people who help rhinos.